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Elections in South Carolina
Federal government
U.S. President
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
State offices
General elections
Gubernatorial elections
State Senate elections
State House elections
Ballot measures
Charleston
Mayoral elections
Columbia
Mayoral elections
Rock Hill
Mayoral elections
Greenville
Mayoral elections

Elections were held in South Carolina on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Primary elections were held on June 8, 2010, and a run-off election for certain contests was held on June 22, 2010.

Federal

United States Senate

Main article: 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina
See also: 2010 United States Senate elections

Republican incumbent Jim DeMint was seeking re-election to the United States Senate, facing Democratic contender Alvin Greene and Green Party candidate Tom Clements.

United States House

Main article: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina
See also: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections

All six of South Carolina's seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2010.

State

Governor

Main article: 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election
See also: 2010 United States gubernatorial elections

Incumbent Republican Governor Mark Sanford was term-limited and unable to seek re-election. Republican Nikki Haley and Democrat Vincent Sheheen, along with third-party candidate Morgan Bruce Reeves, contested the seat. The gubernatorial race was one of the closest in the state, as well as the country, despite the Republican wave on both the state and national level that year. Haley gained national attention as the first non-white and first woman Republican nominee for governor in South Carolina, and for her associations with the national Tea Party and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who endorsed her in the primary. Haley eventually won the race.

Lieutenant governor

Republican Ken Ard and Democrat Ashley Cooper were the major party nominees for lieutenant governor. Incumbent Andre Bauer decided not to run for re-election in order to run for governor. He came in fourth in the GOP primary. Ard won the general election. A little over a year after being sworn in, he resigned after being indicted for misappropriation of campaign funds for personal expenses.

Ard, a businessman and Florence County Councilman, won a four-way primary after a run-off with Bill Connor, a veteran and attorney in Orangeburg. Other candidates were Larry Richter, a former state judge and former state Senator from Mount Pleasant, and Eleanor Kitzman, former director of the state Department of Insurance.

Republican Lieutenant Governor primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Ard 132,602 33.70
Republican Bill Connor 107,731 27.38
Republican Larry Richter 95,483 24.26
Republican Eleanor Kitzman 57,700 14.66
Total votes 393,516 100
Republican Lieutenant Governor primary run-off results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Ard 207,804 61.34
Republican Bill Connor 130,997 38.66
Total votes 338,801 100
South Carolina Lieutenant Governor election, 2010[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Ken Ard 735,089 55.16% +5.16%
Democratic Ashley Cooper 596,620 44.77% -5.03%
Write-ins 1,012 0.08%
Majority 138,469 10.39% +10.09%
Turnout 1,332,721 50.48% +6.28%
Republican hold Swing

Secretary of State

Republican Mark Hammond ran for re-election as Secretary of State of South Carolina against Democrat Marjorie Johnson, a retired spokeswoman for a Washington, D.C. municipal sanitation corporation. Neither faced primary opposition.

South Carolina Secretary of State election, 2010[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mark Hammond (incumbent) 805,783 60.91% -0.89%
Democratic Marjorie Johnson 516,414 39.04% +0.34%
Write-ins 638 0.05%
Majority 289,369 21.87% -0.63%
Turnout 1,322,835 50.10% +6.30%
Republican hold Swing

Treasurer

Republican Curtis Loftis ran unopposed for the office of Treasurer of South Carolina. He defeated acting Treasurer Converse Chellis in the Republican primary. Chellis was appointed to the position by Governor Sanford after his predecessor, Thomas Ravenel, was convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and resigned. Loftis, the Director of Transparency at the Office of the Comptroller General, received some negative coverage when Chellis ran negative ads attacking him for having been arrested for assaulting his wife. (Loftis was later found not guilty.)

Republican Treasurer primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Curtis Loftis 239,296 61.60
Republican Converse Chellis (incumbent) 149,191 38.40
Total votes 388,487 100
South Carolina Treasurer election, 2010[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Curtis Loftis 907,755 98.94% +46.74%
Write-ins 9,748 1.06% +0.94%
Majority 898,007 97.88% +93.48%
Turnout 917,503 34.75% -9.45%
Republican hold Swing

Attorney general

Republican Alan Wilson, Democrat Matthew Richardson, and Green Party candidate Leslie Wilson were the nominees for attorney general. Wilson is the son of controversial South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson. The race was marked by high fundraising totals for both Wilson and Richardson, second only to the governor's race in total money raised and spent in the general election. Wilson eventually won.

In the Republican primary, Wilson faced two other challengers: Columbia attorneys Leighton Lord and Robert Bolchoz. Wilson eventually defeated Leighton Lord in a run-off.

Republican Attorney General primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Alan Wilson 150,404 38.94
Republican Leighton Lord 143,339 37.12
Republican Robert Bolchoz 92,457 23.94
Total votes 386,200 100
Republican Attorney General primary run-off results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Alan Wilson 205,851 59.79
Republican Leighton Lord 138,444 40.21
Total votes 344,295 100
South Carolina Attorney General election, 2010[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Alan Wilson 716,193 53.74% -44.66%
Democratic Matthew Richardson 589,135 44.20% +44.20%
Green Leslie Minerd 27,008 2.03% +2.03%
Write-ins 470 0.04%
Majority 127,058 9.52% -88.88%
Turnout 1,332,806 50.48% +18.48%
Republican hold Swing

Comptroller General

Incumbent Republican Richard Eckstrom ran for re-election against Democratic challenger Robert Barber. Although Eckstrom attracted negative attention over his affair with Kelly Payne,[3] one of the GOP candidates for Superintendent of Education, he eventually won.

In the Republican primary, Eckstrom defeated challenger Mike Meilinger, an accountant and consultant from Greenville.

Republican Comptroller General primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard Eckstrom (incumbent) 254,714 68.74
Republican Mike Meilinger 115,813 31.26
Total votes 370,527 100
South Carolina Comptroller General election, 2010[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Richard Eckstrom (incumbent) 746,841 56.50% +3.3%
Democratic Robert Barber 574,302 43.45% -3.25%
Write-ins 719 0.05%
Majority 172,539 13.05% +6.45%
Turnout 1,321,862 50.07% +7.37%
Republican hold Swing

Superintendent of Education

Candidates for Superintendent of Education in South Carolina included Republican Mick Zais, Democrat Frank Holleman, and third-party candidates Doretha Bull, Tony Fayyazi, and Tim Moultrie. Zais did little campaigning in the general, despite the relatively high fundraising totals posted by Holleman, a former United States Deputy Secretary of Education and South Carolina State Democratic Party Chairman. The general election race became the third most expensive statewide race in South Carolina in 2010, and one of the higher profile, in part because the perception that the outcome could be as close as it had been in 2006. However, Zais eventually won.

Zais, a retired brigadier general and president of Newberry College, defeated Elizabeth Moffly in the GOP primary run-off. Moffly, a 2006 candidate for the Republican nomination, did surprisingly well considering her low fundraising and poor result in the 2006 contest. Other candidates included: Kelly Payne, an Irmo teacher; Gary Burgess, a former Laurens County school administrator who was arrested in 2009 for soliciting an immoral act;[4] Brent Nelsen, a political science professor at Furman University; and Glenn Price, a Kershaw band teacher. Moffly went on to be elected to the Charleston County School District Board of Trustees in November.[5]

Republican Superintendent of Education primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mick Zais 98,550 26.45
Republican Elizabeth Moffly 70,392 18.89
Republican Kelly Payne 65,429 17.56
Republican Gary Burgess 63,856 17.14
Republican Brent Nelsen 47,280 12.69
Republican Glenn Price 27,068 7.27
Total votes 372,575 100
Republican Superintendent of Education primary run-off results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mick Zais 180,482 54.20
Republican Elizabeth Moffly 152,486 45.80
Total votes 332,968 100

Holleman defeated college administrator Tom Thompson in the Democratic primary.

Democratic Superintendent of Education primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Frank Holleman 97,626 56.16
Democratic Tom Thompson 76,203 43.84
Total votes 173,829 100
South Carolina Superintendent of Education election, 2010[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mick Zais 680,787 51.26% +3.86%
Democratic Frank Holleman 572,508 43.11% -4.39%
Libertarian Tim Moultrie 35,362 2.66% +0.86%
Green Doretha Bull 20,787 1.57% +0.77%
Independence Party Tony Fayyazi 18,107 1.36% -0.34%
Write-ins 513 0.04%
Majority 108,279 8.15% +8.14%
Turnout 1,328,064 50.31% +6.21%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

Adjutant General

Republican Bob Livingston ran unopposed in the general election and faced no primary opposition.

South Carolina Adjutant General election, 2010[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bob Livingston 900,620 99.25% +41.15%
Write-ins 6,786 0.75% +0.74%
Majority 893,834 98.50% +82.20%
Turnout 907,406 34.37% -8.93%
Republican hold Swing

Commissioner of Agriculture

Incumbent Republican Hugh Weathers ran for re-election against Democratic challenger Tom Elliott, a former Richland County treasurer and councilman. Neither faced primary opposition. The major issue in the race was the moving of the state farmers' market, which Elliott suggested had been done improperly.[7]

South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture election, 2010[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Hugh Weathers (incumbent) 792,260 60.11% +0.41%
Democratic Tom Elliott 525,229 39.85% -0.45%
Write-ins 533 0.04%
Majority 267,031 20.06% +1.20%
Turnout 1,318,022 49.92% +6.52%
Republican hold Swing

State House of Representatives

All 124 seats in the South Carolina House of Representatives were up for election in 2010.

Judicial positions

Several Probate Court justices were up for election in 2010. Most other judges are elected by the South Carolina General Assembly instead of by the general population.

Ballot measures

Four measures appeared on the General Election ballot.

Amendment 1 amended Article I of the state Constitution to guarantee citizens the right to hunt, fish and trap wildlife, "subject to laws and regulations promoting sound wildlife conservation and management as prescribed by the General Assembly."

Amendment 1
Choice Votes %
Referendum passed Yes 1,126,228 88.97
No 139,668 11.03
Total votes 1,265,896 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 2,631,459 48.11
Source: - Official Results

Amendment 2 amended Article II of the state Constitution "to provide that the fundamental right of an individual to vote by secret ballot is guaranteed for a designation, a selection, or an authorization for employee representation by a labor organization."

Amendment 2
Choice Votes %
Referendum passed Yes 1,090,107 86.20
No 174,473 13.80
Total votes 1,264,580 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 2,631,459 48.06
Source: - Official Results

Amendment 3 amended Section 36(A) of Article III of the state Constitution "to increase from three to five percent in increments of one-half of one percent over four fiscal years the amount of state general fund revenue in the latest completed fiscal year required to be held in the General Reserve Fund."

Amendment 3
Choice Votes %
Referendum passed Yes 890,015 70.91
No 365,105 29.09
Total votes 1,255,120 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 2,631,459 47.70
Source: - Official Results

Amendment 4 amended Section 36(A) of Article III of the state Constitution " to increase from three to five percent in increments of one-half of one percent over four fiscal years the amount of state general fund revenue in the latest completed fiscal year required to be held in the General Reserve Fund and to allow the percentage amount to be subsequently increased or decreased by separate legislative enactment passed by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the Senate and a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the House of Representatives."

Amendment 4
Choice Votes %
Referendum passed Yes 906,328 72.61
No 341,893 27.39
Total votes 1,248,221 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 2,631,459 47.43
Source: - Official Results

Local

Many elections for county and city offices were also held on November 2, 2010.

External links

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "South Carolina 2010 Primary Results". South Carolina Board of Elections. June 22, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "South Carolina Election Results". South Carolina Board of Elections. November 18, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  3. ^ "Read the Eckstrom e-mails to Payne". The Columbia State. February 18, 2010. Archived from the original on April 29, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  4. ^ "Former Anderson School District 4 superintendent arresteds". Anderson Independent-Mail. April 3, 2009. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  5. ^ "CCSD Board of Trustees Members". CCSD. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "South Carolina 2010 Primary Results". South Carolina Board of Elections. June 22, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  7. ^ "Rivals for top South Carolina agriculture job offer ideas to promote farms". Augusta Chronicle. September 18, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_South_Carolina_elections